Those Across the River

More than just a horror novel

Set in the early 1900's, an unwed couple from Chicago arrive in a small Georgia town. The kind of town where the Sheriff still rides a horse & everyone knows everyone else. The couple both have separate pasts & this small town is to be the beginning of their new lives. The town seems perfect at first, moved into Frank's dead aunt's house, they make friends, attend town hall meetings, and socials. Dora is the new school teacher & Frank intends to write a book about his family's past in a plantation nestled in the woods across the river. Nobody goes across the river though. And soon Frank & Dora learn there is a reason why. A reason that is connected to Frank's family and it's been waiting for him. Those Across The River will take you to a place long ago. You will get to know the majority of the people that live in town, and begin to feel like you are living there with them. The opening passage of the book is a hint to what is to come & you read eagerly, waiting for the moment when it will be revealed. When the horror begins, you are left on the edge of your seat as the entire town is thrown into disturbing chaos. I read this book in 3 days. I literally could not put it down. The characters, the town, and the history all bring this book to life. This isn't your typical blood & gore horror. This is intelligent, suspenseful, thrilling, emotional & quite simply, horror at its very best. An amazing first novel from the author!

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

This is an exciting horror thriller

Former University of Michigan professor Frank Nichols accompanied by his almost wife Eudora travels from Chicago to Whitbrow, Georgia where he inherited a yellow house from an Aunt Dottie McComb whom he never knew existed. Dora dubs the place The Canary House. Frank plans to write the definitive historical about his family's Savoyard Plantation to include the atrocities that occurred there while Dora dislikes the idea of bringing literarily life to his late malevolent great grandfather.

Frank and Dora find they enjoy the quiet friendliness of the townsfolk. Then the trouble begins as it has in past generations. Something evil is killing people. Frank and other locals vow to find out who or what and end the reign of terror that has waited dormant at Savoyard Plantation for Frank to arrive to pay a family blood debt.

This is an exciting horror thriller that starts slow and meanders a bit as the local area is established. Once the rural Georgia background, which will remind readers of James Dickey's Deliverance even with tea socials, is set, the action-packed story line accelerates as the evil comes to collect. Frank holds the plot together as the prime focus of the dreaded malevolence.

Harriet Klausner

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Those Across the River

Christopher Buehlman's masterful first novel is a moody and truly frightening journey into the deep south of the 1930's. Evoking Faulkner and Eudora Welty with his well hewn prose, he crafts a tale both moody and horrific. Frank Nichols is a philandering professor, escaping the failure of his academic career by moving from the north with his lover to an inherited ancestral home in the very isolated town of Whitbrow, Georgia. Frank inherited this house but was told by his dying aunt to NOT move there, just to sell it and to stay up north and enjoy the proceeds of the sale.

Moving to Whitbrow was not a good idea for Frank, as he would discover to his misery. The results of his decision take some time to come to fruition, but in the end, they are disastrous for him and those he cares for. Buehlman takes his time building up to the grand reveal of just exactly why Frank should not have come home to Whitbrow, but when he does get there, it is very frightening. I was reading this late at night, alone, and had to put the book down and resume in the daytime.

Well written, atmospheric and frightening, this book is all the more astonishing for being a first novel. The prose is assured and seems carefully chosen to evoke the mood and speech of the era and the location.Speaking as a southerner, this is very much appreciated.

A terrific first novel. I can't wait until his second one arrives.

JTB says check it out!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

An excellent debut novel!

This book was...well...amazing! I am so glad I was chosen by Net Galley to read this before it publishes on 9/6/2011. Honestly, when I first started reading it I thought oh how am I going to get through this one? I almost...almost...gave up on it after the first few chapters and here's why. I did not know it took place in the early 1900's for one so that kind of through me for a loop, second I took the description to mean that the book was centered around Frank writing this book and the troubled, evil family members he had had, third it jumped around a bit in the beginning and wasn't making sense to me. I am go glad I stuck with it because everything in the beginning came together as the story progressed. Yes, Frank has the intention of writing a book about the history of his family and the land they lived on but it is so much more than that. It is en-depth and descriptive. I felt like I was in that same time era, could see what the characters saw, and smell what they smelled. The characters, for the most part, are likable and people you would be friends with if you could go back in time. The town members come together to fight an evil that has been residing in the woods and across the river for many many years but only raises it's ugly head when Frank and his soon to be wife Dora move from Chicago to Whitbrow, as Frank is left a house in Whitbrow by the death of an aunt he didn't know. As adults and children alike are found dead, the men are determined to find the who or what is responsible. Though out this book I was on the edge of my seat, had a death grip on my nook, flinched, cringed, felt horror, and felt sympathy as things start coming together. This debut novel by Christopher Buehlman is a must read and I look forward to more from him in the future.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

You will not be sorry you bought this book

Some people hear "horror genre" and think "I'll pass" (that's usually me). This is no gratuitous horror story. Yes, it will scare the bejeeziz out of you. But the depth of historical detail, brilliant imagery, crisp dialogue, well-crafted characters and rhythm like a Native American drum will absolutely entrance you on your walk into hell. Hope it's Buehlman's first of many.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Clever, creepy, intense... You must read this!

A wild ride through the rural south in the 1930's with all the local color and horror that that can entail, and then it just gets really good. I loved the poetic quality of the first part of the book and was completely surprised by the end. I loved this book and loan to all my friends. Read it!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great book

Amazing first book from a talented author. Good characterization and story. Chris Buehlman will be a famous one day soon.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Scary and Creepy!

I don't know what has gotten to me to read this at night, maybe I was kinda underestimating the book and tried to scoff at the description that it was a horror kind of book. Lesson learned the hard way, I was not able to go to the kitchen because of this. What a way to spin a tale.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommend this Southern Gothic Lit

Buehlman has crafted a fine piece of Southern Gothic/Horror literature. I enjoyed the way the pacing of the first part of the novel set up the action for the latter half. Had the right amount of horror/spooky factor along with the day-to day routine of a normal small town, but this is no normal town. The historical aspects were indicitive of how things were in the Deep South during this particular time in history, and were captured in this novel very well. The characters and setting were accurate and fully fleshed out, as well. You will experience the whole of it right along with Frank Nichols. I was glad to have read this novel in October, right around Halloween.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Don't Turn off the Lights

An amazingly well-written and thought provoking piece of dark fiction.

Frank Nichols, a disgraced academic and his soon-to-be-wife Eudora inherit a home in the deep south. Despite the warning to never set foot on the property, the two travel to make a fresh start of their lives in the quaint little town of Whitbrow, Georgia.

...and the horror begins.

Buehlman artfully constructs a stairwell of visionary prose straight down into the darkest parts of the imagination and feeds the reader just enough to keep them at the edge of panic through the very end.

This is a must read for any fan of the genre, but also opens the doors for those with a varying palate.

The gifted Christopher Buehlman has given me something that I haven't had in a very long time...a book that made me think twice about turning off the lights.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Bold and handsomely descriptive.

Mr. Buehlman places you right in the middle of 1935. His scenes come to life in your imagination as you turn each page. I love how he set the story up slowly and you get to know the characters in depth and their surroundings. Little innuendos placed throughout the story kept me gripping the book for an entire weekend of suspense.
Congrats Christopher Buehlman, you have created a masterpiece.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This. Book. Is. Awesome!

I highly recommend this book to anyone (well, not small children). And perhaps not people with a delicate heart or prudish mind. But in general, this is an incredibly engaging, creepy as all hell, fast moving, super charactered, rip-roaring page burner. I'm actually going to read it again, soon. And probably a third time, because I want to make sure I don't miss anything. It's that good. Seriously, buy this book. I am buying like 15 copies and giving them out as Christmas gifts.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Buy this - instant literary classic horror

A terrific, fun read with so much gorgeous detail in characters and surroundings that you are completely immersed in the story. This is a true classic chiller of a horror story, beautifully researched, and I curled up with it for hours, eager to turn the next page. Any fans of the masters of horror will enjoy this book and I applaud the author for keeping me entertained until the very last gripping scene.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

You know something bad is going to happen from the beginning. T

You know something bad is going to happen from the beginning. The movers arrive at the new house and there is blood on the truck. They tell the couple that they hit a dog. From that moment, it is going to be scary times. Great scene with Frank in the woods and the young boy. The story reminded me of the night of the living dead movie. The ending is a good twist. Don't read before you go to bed, could have nightmares.

Excellent read

What a great story! Nice plot, imagery, and well-written. I loved how the story sucked the reader right in. I liked the ending and it tied everything together...

Very enjoyable

I really enjoyed this book! Very entertaining! I didn't want to put it down, kept me interested the entire time.

AWESOME READ!

I read this book in a couple days while camping with my family.
I hated having to put it down to do family activities. It is a page-turner and held my interest throughout the whole book......

Read it!!!

I bought this on a whim and i am so glad i did. Excellent book and writing. I loved the lush setting and all of the colorful characters. I was left feeling slightly haunted at the end (in a good way). Read this book!

Awesome read

Wish I had more time in a day to read. This was a book that I had trouble putting down.

Southern Gothic Horror Story

Recommended for fans of Southern Gothic lit, I loved the playful humor of the banter between characters and the voice of narrator of the story. Humor and horror, when properly blended are like sweet and savory complements -- it's a difficult balance, but well handled here.